Why Ms. Marvel Needs To Be Marvel’s Next Live-Action Hero

There’s something missing from the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and it’s not just the mutants. New York’s been blown to bits, Thor became unworthy AND then worthy again, Captain America saved the world from Nazis and the Avengers assembled – twice! Yet despite the explosions, heart-racing action and Robert Downey Jr.’s exceptional timing, the soul of Marvel Comics remains hidden.

Marvel first set itself apart by creating flawed, recognizable characters that gave readers an instant empathetic connection – a hallmark to which the company has stayed true.Spider-Man isn’t interesting because of his powers, he’s interesting because he’s Peter Parker, a nerd granted incredible powers who learns that with those powers comes responsibility. The X-Men have always been a metaphor for marginalized communities’ struggles for acceptance.

The most recent films adapted from DC Comics have made questionable choices that have sometimes felt at odds with the characters. Batman is seldom as unrelentingly serious as he is in Nolan’s films; Superman would rather take a fight to another planet before harming a single innocent or raining down massive amounts of destruction upon a city. The Marvel Cinematic Universe films have yet to let the company’s guiding spirit shine.

She is a fantastic character granted. But any effort will be dead on arrival in this current climate unless you can answer one question: “Where is the Christian hero?”

Daredevil is out because he is a Catholic stereotype (plus fundamentalist Christians aren’t exactly friendly toward Catholics” and Nightcrawler is out because in his one screen appearance, he was subversively played by one of the flamboyantly gay actors in Hollywood.

All the good about this character will be ignored because she’s Muslim.

Who cares? You can’t please everyone, so why bother trying? The MCU has enough cultural weight to throw around at this point that they can weather a handwringing segment by the idiots at Fox and Friends.

At some point, sure, but next? Getting Kamala Khan now without first establishing Carol Danvers or the Inhumans (in the movies, at least) is a weird move. Besides, Kamala Khan seems like the perfect hero for Marvel to break out once their current generation of MCU heroes have been retired.

I wouldn’t hold your breath. With Marvel sticking to their “Two movies per year” formula, there’s literally a decade’s worth of higher profile movies/characters to go through. She would be a good candidate for the Netflix treatment if it wasn’t for the fact that her stretching powers would either demand a huge SFX budget or end up looking ridiculous.

Have to set up Ms. Marvel first. But then afterwards you could probably do a Netflix series with her. Jessica Jones and Daredevil are hugely popular, so I can’t see them not being open to a sixth series.